The Attributes of Essence and the Attributes of Action In...

The Attributes of Essence and the Attributes of Action In dividing the Divine Attributes into the Attributes of Essence and the Attributes of Action, there are two terminologies and two views involved: In abstracting an attribute from the Divine Essence or describing the Divine Essence with that attribute, whenever conception ( taṣawwur ) of the Essence is sufficient and there is no need for any conception of God’s agency ( fā‘iliyyah ), the said attribute is an Attribute of Essence or Essential Attribute; examples are ḥayāh (life) and Al-hayy (the Ever-living), irādah (will) and murīd (the Willing), ‘ilm (knowledge) and Al-‘ālim (the All-knowing), qudrah (Power) and Al-qādir (the All-powerful).

And whenever conception of God’s agency is needed [in abstracting an attribute], that attribute is called an Attribute of Action or Agency Attribute; examples are khalq (creation) and Al-khāliq (the Creator), rizq (sustenance) and Al-rāziq (the Sustenainer), amātah (death) and Al-mumayyit (the Life-taker), aḥyā’ (living) and Al-muḥayyī (the Life-giver), maghfirah (forgiveness) and Al-ghāfir (the Forgiver), intiqām (vengeance) and Al-muntaqim (the Avenger), and the like.

Whenever the opposite or reverse of an attribute can be attributed to God, it is called an Attribute of Action and whenever the opposite or reverse of an attribute cannot be attributed to God, it is called an Attribute of Essence. Therefore, power, knowledge and life are among the Attributes of the Divine Essence, because God cannot be described with the opposites of these attributes as their opposites denote existential deficiency.

But will ( irādah ) is not one of the Attributes of Essence because describing God with its opposite is not possible. For instance, it can be said that God does not will any form of injustice toward His servants: ﴿ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِلْعِبَادِ ﴾ “And Allah does not desire any wrong for (His) servants.” [^7] On this basis, justice ( ‘adl ) is one of the Attributes of the Divine Essence but according to the first terminology, it is one of the Attributes of Action.

Of the two stated terminologies, the first is more popular and prevalent in the books of philosophy and theology. In his Al-Kāfī , Muḥaddith al-Kulaynī has adopted the second terminology.[^8] The traditions which have regarded irādah (will or willpower) as one of the Attributes of the Divine Action have been interpreted on this basis.

✦ ✦ ✦